Napa Valley Winery to Age Wine In Charleston Harbor

Mira Winery to Become First American Winery to Experiment with
Ocean Aging

February 13, 2013 12:34 PM Eastern Standard Time

SAINT HELENA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mira Winery, based in Napa Valley, will be the first American winery to
experiment with aging wine in the ocean when divers place four cases of
2009 Cabernet Sauvignon in specially designed cages in Charleston Harbor.

Mira, which distributes to high-end restaurants and through its www.miranapa.com
website, will leave the wine bottles in Charleston Harbor for three
months, starting Wednesday, February 20. The objective is to understand
the difference between wine aged on the ocean floor versus wine aged in
the warehouse.

“We will make an initial drop to test a process which we plan to expand
on in both quantity and time going forward,” said Mira Winery President
Jim Dyke. “Making history in Charleston Harbor is not new, but certainly
a first for a Napa Valley Winery.”

Several European wineries have experimented with aging and storing wine
in the ocean, though Mira’s project is the first in the United States.
Over generations, explorers have recovered wine from sunken ships and
declared the wine to be enhanced by the underwater elements, such as its
movements.

“The ocean has similar ideal elements that impact aging – temperature,
pressure, humidity, pressure motion, light -- or lack thereof -- and
oxygen,” said Gustavo Gonzalez, Mira Winery Winemaker. “Is there
something just as impactful and interesting in aquaoir as there is about
terroir? We are going to try and find out.”

After three months, the wine will be tested and tasted by local
sommeliers in comparison to the same vintage that has been stored in
similar conditions above ground. Control factors going forward include
how long after bottling it is submerged, as well as how long it spends
underwater. Updates can be found at www.miranapa.com/charlestonharbor.

Mira Winery, launched in August 2012, employs the craftsmanship of Napa
Valley 100-point winemaker Gustavo Gonzalez. Mira prioritizes
craftsmanship over production, yielding handcrafted, small production
wines that can be found in fine dining restaurants in CA, Charleston,
SC, Palm Beach, FL and Washington, D.C. and at www.miranapa.com.